dominance

https://www.podbean.com/eas/pb-ykn9d-184a173

For some strange reason, in every human structure, there is at least one individual and often more, who seem to have a deep insatiable appetite for dominance. They just can not stand to let others make decisions affecting the group or often even tolerate any participation in the decision making process.

It is as if someone with delusions of grandeur has installed a control chip deep within their brains for the purpose of ruthlessly controlling the actions of all those around them. This discussion is not about why this is so nor does it seek a cure but rather it seeks a deeper understanding of human nature and considers why avoiding these sorts of individuals may perhaps be the wisest course of action.

I am reading a book on the hutterian brethern written as a compilation of members who have escaped what they see as an evil control structure.

What struck me was not the shock of the cruelty of some in leadership but the normalcy of the similarities i have observed in other human structures. Whether in business, religion, families, first nations and second nations political structures, the military, or kids in a sandbox, you see the same principles everywhere.

We could perhaps more politely start this discussion off by noting that there are people who are gifted with the capability to organize others as teams to effect a greater outcome than they could achieve individually.

Large construction projects, wars and criminal activities, sunday school picnics, mind control psyops, family vacations, genocidal exploits and other human activities arguably may not best be undertaken alone but may perform more effectively with an effective leader at the helm. 

Some of these projects begin with an individual with a vision who is unable to find others to help, and simply begins alone, sometimes for decades, until slowly slowly, others begin to notice his progress and join in the battle. And like the rising of the sun, at some point a leader will appear and see the need for improvement in the structure of the group. This self-appointed individual will selflessly inject himself into the leadership role and begin fixing things, usually starting as a first project, the removal of the troublesome individual who had the vision in the first place.

It is actually quite stunning to consider how this must feel for the poor sap who began the project with such determination and energy, forcing himself to continue again and again when all seemed lost, only to be told to step aside because adults have entered the chat. Perhaps he could be faulted for not having seen it coming and braced himself for impact, or made plans to pursue something else instead when this time came.

And before the everything police arrive, there have been some examples in human history where this pattern i am describing has not occured….yet. We are talking patterns here and as a pattern recognitionist myself, i will not tolerate any dissent in this discussion….whoops! There i go….. oh ddddear.

So the pattern i am clumsily describing appears to work like this: notice some new movement, some new project taking place which is gaining momentum, inject yourself into it like a vaccine into the bloodstream, throw out the initiators of the project, as being threats to your leadership, not being team players, or a threat to the group somehow or some other excuse and guide the group boldly forward into the future, keeping a watchful eye on each individual, making certain there are no successful challenges to your dominance. Because, don’t you see, the purpose of the group, the reason for its existence has shifted from the original purpose to its new role of supporting you as it’s wunnerful new leader!

An anonymous source once told me that the very reason someone wants to be a cop should preclude them from the job and that it might be better for people to be chosen at random for a short term of years instead.   Perhaps this principle could be even be applied to other structures?.  But that is a dream for another time.

But back to the hutterite book for a bit. What was described was an extremely tight control structure which excluded the rest of the world as being the evil worldly outside. Where certain individuals were granted greater responsibilities and benefits than others, and this within a communistic structure! Some were “more equal than others”. Control mechanisms placed on members such as availability of food or medicines, shunning those with strange opinions or new ideas, punishments for misbehavior and gross sins, acceptable patterns of worship, use of communal vehicles and the fear of being expelled from the colony, kept most of them in line.  

See a pattern here? Anything jump out at you? If it did, you just may be a pattern recognitionist also! Perhaps even a budding conspiracy analyst. These tactics of course are not unique to hutterite colonies but appear everywhere you look, even in the animal kingdom. Anyone at all involved with horses knows that when a new horse is brought into the bunch there will be a scrap with the boss horse until order is secured. 

I once watched an amazing spectacle on our family farm when two jet black stallions, one an arab and the other a morgan, battled it out , rearing up on their hind legs to a great height, thrashing with their hooves, squealing, biting each other there in that corral. It was nothing short of awesome. And the interesting thing was that there wasn’t a breedable mare anywhere in sight. What were these well fed studs attempting to destroy each other over?

Dominance.

Now, if everyone with the desire for leadership was competent and deeply cared for the members of the group, the situation of having to obey a worthy leader could be tolerated; maybe even enjoyed, but what do we do when an incompetent or cruel leader gets behind the pulpit?  

Perhaps the escaping hutterites in the book are showing us the way forward? They could have stayed and fought it out or mindlessly conformed as most in such situations will do, or stayed and fought for dominance within the colony themselves but instead they simply took themselves and their services elsewhere. After all, if the shouts and control mechanisms of a self-appointed obnoxious or incompetent leader can be simply ignored, or even ignored at a cost and the cost paid cheerfully, this cost might be worth the freedom and the self respect to be gained from refusing to tolerate being dominated for the benefit of this or that leader of the week.

Why are most of us so afraid of these people? Is the living death they offer us for their own benefit of such worth that we are willing to pay the price of our own souls for the privilege of a crust of bread?  

We could also ask ourselves what the likely outcome will be if we continue to follow orders, pay all the fines and taxes and fees demanded of us. Is there any incentive for the controllers to leave us alone as long as what they’re doing to us is being accepted by us or worse, appreciated?

As a sign i once saw on an office wall said:

Do something; Lead; Follow: of Get out of the Way.

Which will you choose?